noun
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nautical the forestay that braces the mainmast
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a chief support
Etymology
Origin of mainstay
Explanation
A mainstay is something that acts as a source of support for a community. If your hometown's economy depends on tourists visiting every summer, you could say that tourism is the mainstay of your town. A mainstay holds everything together, whether it's your grandmother who acts as the anchor of your whole crazy family, a pillar that physically keeps a building from falling down, or the job that enables you to pay your rent every month. The noun mainstay is originally a nautical term meaning the rope that stabilizes two masts on a sailboat, and since the 1780s it's been used to mean "chief support."
Vocabulary lists containing mainstay
Beowulf
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This Week In Culture: October 5–11, 2019
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Miranda v. Arizona (1966)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
David Kudla, CEO of Mainstay Capital Management, another Barron’s-ranked advisor, says the move by Fidelity might be more about public relations than anything else.
From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026
Walmart has since invested in the design of some of its own store brands, such as inexpensive Mainstay and midrange Better Homes and Gardens, challenging some of its partner brands such as Beautiful.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 19, 2026
More lunch options for the Amazon workers: Mainstay Provisions, which has a following in West Woodland, expands to Denny Triangle with sandwiches and salads along with a gourmet market.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 24, 2023
Michael, 61-years-old, is part of the Democratic Mainstay group.
From BBC • Aug. 31, 2022
Glorified art Thou, O my God, and my Master, and my Mainstay!
From Epistle to the Son of the Wolf by Bahá'u'lláh
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
